app to app: design and surface local apis

Ty Smith - @tylersmithnetSr. Android Engineer, Evernote

App to App: Design and Surface Local APIs

Sunday, September 29, 13

#EC2013

The S Note Story


#EC2013

Web API vs Local API


#EC2013

Web API vs Local API

Web API

•Powerful

•Flexible

•Comfortable

•Complex

•Inconsistent data

•Service limitations

Local API

•Immediate results

•Managed complexity

•Consistent data

•Not as available

•Too Simple


#EC2013

What next?


#EC2013

Android Components


#EC2013

Android Components

1. Intents


#EC2013

Android Components

1. Intents

2. Content Provider


#EC2013

Android Components

1. Intents

2. Content Provider

3. Account Manager


#EC2013

Android Components

1. Intents

2. Content Provider

3. Account Manager

4. Sync Adapter


#EC2013

Android Components

1. Intents

2. Content Provider

3. Account Manager

4. Sync Adapter

5. Bound Service


#EC2013

Intents


#EC2013

Intents

•Simple message between two components


#EC2013

Intents


•Bundle - key/value data


#EC2013

Intents



•Limited payload size (500k)


#EC2013

Intents




•Inefficient for batch operations


#EC2013

Intents




•Inefficient for batch operations

•URI Support


#EC2013

Intents: Android Standards


#EC2013


•Intent.ACTION_SEND


#EC2013



•Intent.EXTRA_STREAM


#EC2013




•Intent.ACTION_VIEW


#EC2013




•Intent.ACTION_VIEW

•Intent.ACTION_EDIT


#EC2013

Intents: View And EDIT


#EC2013


•Set Action


#EC2013


•Set Action

•Data URI


#EC2013


•Set Action

•Data URI

•MIME Type


#EC2013


•Set Action

•Data URI

•MIME Type

•startActivity...ForResult()


#EC2013


•Set Action

•Data URI

•MIME Type

•startActivity...ForResult()

•onActivityResult()


#EC2013

Intents: Evernote CRUD

gist.github.com/TylerSmithNet/6735496


https://github.com/TylerSmithNet/EvernoteReminderDashclock


#EC2013

Intents: Evernote CRUD

public static final String NOTE_PICKER = "com.evernote.action.NOTE_PICKER"; public static final String VIEW_NOTE = "com.evernote.action.VIEW_NOTE";

public static final String NEW_NOTE = "com.evernote.action.CREATE_NEW_NOTE"; public static final String EDIT_NOTE = "com.evernote.action.EDIT_NOTE"; public static final String UPDATE_NOTE = "com.evernote.action.UPDATE_NOTE"; public static final String DELETE_NOTE = "com.evernote.action.DELETE_NOTE";





#EC2013

Intents: New Note Overview





#EC2013


New Note Intent





#EC2013


New Note Intent

onActivityResult()





#EC2013

Intents: Evernote New Note





#EC2013

Intents: Evernote New Note

public static final String NEW_NOTE = "com.evernote.action.CREATE_NEW_NOTE";

public void newNoteWithContent(Uri image) { String title = "Sample Title"; String text = "Sample description."; Intent intent = new Intent(); intent.setAction(ACTION_NEW_NOTE); // Set the note's title and plaintext content intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TITLE, title); intent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, text); // Set the Data URI for the image intent.setData(image); startActivityForResult(intent);}





#EC2013

Content Provider


#EC2013

Content Provider

•A well defined database access layer


#EC2013

Content Provider


•SQLite


#EC2013

Content Provider


•SQLite

•Interact with large volumes of data


#EC2013

Content Provider


•SQLite


•Authority


#EC2013

Content Provider


•SQLite


•Authority

•Permissions


#EC2013

Content Provider: URI

content:// com.example / notes / 1


#EC2013



Scheme


#EC2013



Scheme Authority


#EC2013



Scheme Authority Data Type


#EC2013



Scheme Authority Data Type Id


#EC2013

Content Provider: Implementing


#EC2013


•Override Methods


#EC2013


•Override Methods

•URI Matcher


#EC2013


•Override Methods

•URI Matcher

•Cursors


#EC2013


•Override Methods

•URI Matcher

•Cursors

•File Handlers


#EC2013

Content Provider: Query


#EC2013

Content Provider: Query

Uri authUri = Uri.parse("content://com.evernote.evernoteprovider"); Uri notesUri = Uri.withAppendedPath(authUri, "notes"); String[] projection = new String[]{"guid", "title"}; Cursor cursor = getContentResolver().query( notesUri, projection, null, null, null);


#EC2013

Account Manager


#EC2013

Account Manager

•Accessible Account


#EC2013

Account Manager


•Third Party Auth


#EC2013

Account Manager


•Third Party Auth

•Consistent Settings


#EC2013

Account Manager: OAuth


#EC2013


getAuthToken(...)


#EC2013


getAuthToken(...)

Future<Bundle>


#EC2013

Sync Adapter


#EC2013

Sync Adapter

•Synchronizes App and Web Service


#EC2013

Sync Adapter


•Network/battery optimized syncing


#EC2013

Sync Adapter



•Provided to third party apps


#EC2013

Sync Adapter



•Provided to third party apps

•Schedule and GCM


#EC2013

Sync Adapter: Caveats


#EC2013


•Requires Content Provider and Account Manager


#EC2013


•Sync every hourContentResolver.addPeriodicSync(account, EvernoteContract.AUTHORITY, new Bundle(), 3600);



#EC2013


•Sync every hourContentResolver.addPeriodicSync(account, EvernoteContract.AUTHORITY, new Bundle(), 3600);

•Sync with Jitterint jitter = new Random().nextInt(300);

ContentResolver.addPeriodicSync(account, EvernoteContract.AUTHORITY, new Bundle(), 3600+jitter);



#EC2013

Bound Service


#EC2013

Bound Service

•Android Interface Definition Language (AIDL)


#EC2013

Bound Service


•Directly call defined methods


#EC2013

Bound Service



•Communicate between process or app


#EC2013

Bound Service



•Communicate between process or app

•Requires consumer to contain interface


#EC2013

Bound Service: Evernote and Dashclock

github.com/TylerSmithNet/EvernoteReminderDashclock




#EC2013


•Implements Dashclock jar (AIDL)





#EC2013



•Queries Evernote Content Provider





#EC2013




•Note list intent for clicks





#EC2013




•Note list intent for clicks

•Open Source





#EC2013

Wrap up


#EC2013

Wrap up

•Let the system do the work


#EC2013

Wrap up


•Base API design choice on user stories


#EC2013

Wrap up


•Base API design choice on user stories

•Give the user the best experience


Ty SmithEvernote@tylersmithnet

Thanks, Questions?dev.evernote.com


app to app: design and surface local apis

Technology

ec2013 android components

ec2013 intents simple

note gist

s note story

view intent

android standards intent

new note overview gist

stream intent